This oracle was once unknown to the Boeotians, but they learned of it in the following way. As there had been no rain for a year and more, they sent to Delphi envoys from each city. These asked for a cure for the drought, and were bidden by the Pythian priestess to go to Trophonios at Lebadeia and to discover the remedy from him.

Coming to Lebadeia they could not find the oracle. Thereupon Saon, one of the envoys from the city Acraiphnion and the oldest of all the envoys, saw a swarm of bees. It occurred to him to follow himself wheresoever the bees turned. At once he saw the bees flying into the ground here, and he went with them into the oracle. It is said that Trophonios taught this Saon the customary ritual, and all the observances kept at the oracle.

Of the works of Daidalos there are these two in Boeotia, a Hēraklēs in Thebes and the Trophonios at Lebadeia. There are also two wooden images in Crete, a Britomartis at Olus and an Athena at Knossos, at which latter place is also Ariadne’s Khoros [‘place for dancing and singing’], mentioned by Homer in the Iliad,¹ carved in relief on white marble. At Delos, too, there is a small wooden image of Aphrodite, its right hand defaced by time, and with a square base instead of feet.

I am of opinion that Ariadne got this image from Daidalos, and when she followed Theseus, took it with her from home. Bereft of Ariadne, say the Delians, Theseus dedicated the wooden image of the goddess to the Delian Apollo, lest by taking it home he should be dragged into remembering Ariadne, and so find the grief for his love ever renewed. I know of no other works of Daidalos still in existence. For the images dedicated by the Argives in the Hēraion and those brought from Omphace to Gela in Sicily have disappeared in course of time.

Next to Lebadeia comes Khaironeia. Its name of old was Arne, said to have been a daughter of Aiolos, who gave her name also to a city in Thessaly. The present name of Khaironeia, they say, is derived from Khairon, reputed to be a son of Apollo by Thero, a daughter of Phylas. This is confirmed also by the writer of the epic poem, the Great Ehoiai:

“Phylas wedded a daughter of famous Iolais,

In the territory of Khaironeia are two trophies, which the Romans under Sulla set up to commemorate their victory over the army of Mithridates under Taxilos. But Philip, son of Amyntas, set up no trophy, neither here nor for any other success, whether won over Greeks or barbarians, as the Macedonians were not accustomed to raise trophies.

The Macedonians say that Caranus, king of Macedonia, overcame in battle Cisseus, a chieftain in a bordering country. For his victory Caranus set up a trophy after the Argive fashion, but it is said to have been upset by a lion from Olympus, which then vanished.

Caranus, they assert, realized that it was a mistaken policy to incur the undying hatred of the barbarians dwelling around, and so, they say, the rule was adopted that no king of Macedonia, neither Caranus himself nor any of his successors, should set up trophies, if they were ever to gain the goodwill of their neighbors. This story is confirmed by the fact that Alexander set up no trophies, neither for his victory over Dareios nor for those he won in India.

As you approach the city you see a common grave of the Thebans who were killed in the struggle against Philip. It has no inscription, but is surmounted by a lion, probably a reference to the spirit of the men. That there is no inscription is, in my opinion, because their courage was not favored by appropriate good fortune.

Of all the gods [theoi], the people of Khairōneia [in Boeotia] give-honor [tīmân] most of all to the scepter [skḗptron] that Homer [Iliad 2.100–109] says¹ was made by Hephaistos; this scepter was received from Zeus by Hermes, who gave it to Pelops, and Pelops left it as an heirloom to Atreus, while Atreus left it to Thyestes, and then Agamemnon held it, taking it from Thyestes. So, they [= the people of Khairōneia] worship [sebein] this scepter [skḗptron]. The name they give it is Dóru [‘wooden staff’]. And the fact that this object is quite-divine [theióteron] is made most clear by its fame throughout humankind.

They [= the people of Khairōneia] say that it was found in the mountains shared by them and the people of Panopeus, who are in Phokis. And, together with the scepter, there was also gold that was found [and kept] by these people of Phokis [= the people of Panopeus in Phokis], while they [= the people of Khairōneia in Boeotia] gladly kept not the gold but the scepter [skḗptron] instead. And it [= the gold] was taken-to-safety [komizesthai] to Phokis by Electra. daughter of Agamemnon, according to a version that I credit. There is no temple [nāós] that has been built for it [= the scepter in Khairōneia] at public expense. Rather, every year, someone who is sanctified-as-a-priest [hierōmenos] gets to keep in his household [oikēma] the scepter [skḗptron]. And there are sacrifices [thusiai] that are sacrificed [thuesthai] to it every day. A sacred-table [trapeza] is placed next to it, filled with all kinds of meat and baked goods.